The gift cards come in fixed values, such as £10 or £20, and can be picked up straight off the shelf. Until the card has been scanned and the value loaded at the till, it is not worth anything, eliminating the risk of theft to the store, said the Co-op.

Debbie Robinson, director of Food Retail Marketing at The Co-operative, said: “As the UK‘s leading convenience store retailer, the gift cards add another string to our bow and offer our food customers the chance to pick one up as a last-minute present or when they’re struggling with what present to buy someone.”

The Co-operative is also stepping up its marketing activity in the key pre-Christmas trading period, using smart coupons to drive loyalty and sales among customer members.

The coupons are individually targeted to each member’s shopping behaviour, and are based on how much they have spent in store, offering members discounts on their total shopping bill next time around.